


Lightning and Fire

by sophisticus



Series: Pink Lightning [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-24 16:14:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophisticus/pseuds/sophisticus
Summary: Before Kitty joined the Straw Hat crew, she was on the run from both the government and her old crew. An ordinary afternoon for her is flipped upside down, though, when an arrogant young man with a cowboy hat and tattoos on his arm shows up and makes her an offer.





	1. An Offer

“Hey! Stop, thief!”

Kitty glanced over her shoulder as she ran, and stuck her tongue out at the store clerk who chased her. The man’s face purpled with rage, but he wasn’t quick enough to grab her before she darted around a corner. The clerk skidded a bit before he managed the change in direction, but he immediately stopped short. The alley before him was a dead end, and empty apart from some trash. He looked around in confusion, before glaring at the rooftops above. The man spat on the ground before seeming to finally give up on the chase.

Far above him, Kitty peeked over the edge of the rooftop in time to see him turn and head back to his shop. She sat back and pulled open the bag of stolen goods, grabbed an orange, and started peeling.

The sunlight warmed her skin as she munched on the fruit in quiet satisfaction, and she leaned back against a chimney as she breathed in the salty air. Today’s haul had been a good one, and would feed her for another several days. She’d considered getting a job and finding an actual place to live, sure, but it would make her that much easier to track down. Thus, theft.

Now finished with the orange, she tossed away the peel and set about sorting out the haul. The seasonings she stuffed in her pack, while the rest of it she laid out in front of her to examine. Fruits, dried meats, vitamin supplements, and some vegetables, along with lip balm, string, a pair of scissors, and the wallets of everyone who had happened to be in the store at the time. All of it, stolen. It was little wonder the clerk had been so angry.

Kitty gathered up her loot, then stood and started off. The clerk may have ended his chase, but it was possible he’d alerted the local authorities, so once she finally dropped back to ground level she kept to the side streets and avoided large groups of people. It just a few minutes until she reached the edge of the town, and from there a short walk to her camp.

She’d built a more or less semi-permanent camp high in the branches of the biggest tree she could find in the forest that ringed the city. The massive branches allowed enough room for her little wooden shelter, just big enough for her to sleep in. Kitty passed by the cold remains of last night’s fire, and began to scale the tree.

She ducked inside her shelter and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Her eyes fell upon something on the floor, and her blood ran cold.

Sprawled out upon her bedroll, fast asleep, was a man with a cowboy hat covering his face. Kitty swore and backpedaled out of the hut as fast as her legs could carry her. As she moved, her foot caught on a smaller branch that came out of the main limb, and then she was falling.

The ground rushed up at her, and she had a full two seconds for dread to fill her before she closed her eyes and braced for the painful impact. A rushing noise filled her ears, and when she landed the breath was knocked from her lungs – but it wasn’t the bone-breaking landing on the ground that she’d been expecting. Kitty opened her eyes, uncertain if the fall had been fatal and she was already dead.

The thing she’d landed on cradled her carefully. Not a thing; a person. The man who’d been asleep in her fort had somehow appeared on the forest floor and caught her, the cowboy hat perched on his head. He grinned down at her bewildered expression. “You ought to be more careful,” he drawled. “That fall could’ve really hurt you.”

Reason snapped back into place, and Kitty shoved him away. As her hands connected with his chest, electricity arced from her skin to his. He grunted in surprise, and she took advantage of his arms loosening to extricate herself. Kitty dropped to the ground and immediately took off at a sprint.

That rushing sound filled her ears again, and she glanced back to see a wall of flame rushing at her. She didn’t even have time to swear before the flames reached her, wrapping around her with a deafening roar.

The searing pain she expected didn’t come – the flames didn’t come close to actually licking her skin. The circle of grass she stood on remained untouched by the fiery maelstrom, and even as she watched the man materialized out of the circle of flames. “What the hell are you?” she shouted over the din, drawing her sword from her waist.

“Now calm down,” he said, raising his hands. “I’m not here to hurt you, just hear me out.”

“Leave me alone,” Kitty warned. “I’m not gonna let you take me back.”

The man stepped closer, hands still up in a placating gesture. “Just listen to me for a minute-”

She didn’t give him an opportunity to finish. Kitty slashed at him with her sword, fully expecting him to dodge out of the way, or to at least attempt to block it. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her blade to pass clear through his chest as if it were water. Or rather, fire. Instead of a spray of blood, flames burst forth, and for a moment she could see clear through his torso.

By now he looked exasperated, and before she could recover from her surprise he reached out and grabbed her arm. “For fuck’s sake, just calm down!” he ordered. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk.”

“What the hell do you want?” Kitty demanded. She tried to jerk away, but his grip was like iron. “I’m not going back, you can tell Leonardo to go screw himself-”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! I don’t know who that is, but I’m not associated with him,” the man said. Around them, the flames flickered and died away, leaving the clearing eerily quiet. Her blood still thundered in her ears, however, as she finally took a second to really _look_ at this guy. He was clearly a Devil Fruit eater, and probably a logia type at that. The letters ASCE were tattooed on one of his arms, though the S was crossed out as if it had been a mistake. His cowboy hat shaded his freckled face as he looked down at her, and she realized with some surprise that he was actually quite handsome. “I just want to talk. Are you gonna calm down and quit trying to run off?”

Kitty hesitated, and that seemed to be enough for him. He released her arm and took a half-step back, giving her room to breathe. “Talk fast,” she snapped.

“I want you to join my pirate crew.”

She snorted. “You’re full of shit.”

“Yes,” he agreed, “but I’m serious. I’ve heard about you through the grapevine that you were a pirate and cheated some mafia guy out of a Devil Fruit – this Leonardo guy, right? I know you’re on the run. Join my crew. We can keep you out of his hands.”

“Who even are you?” Kitty demanded.

He grinned again, and tipped his hat back. “I’m Ace. Nice to finally meet you, Mamakoto Kitty.”

“I’ve heard that name somewhere.” Her eyes fell to the scorched ring of earth around them, and the realization hit her like a bullet in the back. “Fire-Fist Ace!”

“That’s me,” Ace drawled. “Now for the third time, join my crew.”

Holy shit. This guy was the real deal. No wonder he’d been able to subdue her without so much as breaking a sweat. “Why?” Kitty asked warily. “What do you get out of it?”

“I love to spite asshole people like the guys you used to work for. And besides, you’re a Devil Fruit eater. Electricity, yeah? That’s got some real potential behind it. I’d like to see just how powerful you can make it.”

She hesitated. Ace had an incredibly high bounty for someone so young, and was definitely a powerful fighter. If he claimed that he could protect her, then she believed him. And from his reputation, she knew he bore no love for the navy or the world government, so there was only a low chance he’d turn her in for money.

“What’s your crews’ nickname?” she asked, partially to stall for time and partially because she was curious.

“We’re the Spades.”

Kitty snorted. “’Ace of Spades’? Hilarious.”

Ace grinned. “I _am_ pretty funny, aren’t I?”

“You’re something, that’s for sure.”

“Are you ever gonna answer me?” he said, crossing his arms. “Quit playing hard to get.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, which only made him laugh again. “Alright, I’ll do it. But you have to make me your first mate.”

She was teasing, and it was clear from the way his eyes danced that he knew that, but he surprised her yet again as he said, “That’s fine. My old first mate is a bit of a dick anyway.”

Kitty sputtered, but recovered quickly. “With a captain like you, I’m hardly surprised.”

Ace tipped his head back and laughed. “You’ve definitely got some guts. Welcome to the crew; you’re gonna fit right in.”


	2. Closing Orbit

It had now been a year since Kitty had agreed to join Fire-Fist Ace’s crew. True to his word, he’d made her his first mate. Turns out, Ace had been kidding when he’d said that his old first mate was a dick – there wasn’t actually anybody chosen as second in charge. Though the smallish crew gave her a bit of grief over it, she soon learned it was in the same way siblings taunt one another. They were unfailingly loyal to Ace, and trusted his judgement over her place on the ship. Over this year, she’d become part of the family, and trusted them with her life.

Among other things, her joining the Spades had helped her fighting skills increase tenfold. Her swordsmanship had gotten better, but it was her Devil Fruit powers that had improved the most. Where before she could only create a small charge of electricity, now she could create arcs that could stun a full grown man.

“Hey, Kitty!”

Kitty turned from where she’d been leaning over the railing, admiring the calm seas. Ace waved as he approached, a rectangular package tucked under his arm. “Hey Ace,” she said.

“Got a second? I wanted to chat with you.”

“Yeah, sure.” The two of them walked along the railing until they found a quiet spot where they wouldn’t be overheard. “What’s this about? Is it something to do with that box?”

Ace held up the package in question with a smile, and handed it to her. “You’ve always been observant.”

Kitty hefted it in her hand, weighing it, before she opened the seal with her nail and cracked open the box. Inside, nestled in a bed of cloth, was a short sword very like the one she currently carried – but it was of much superior make, and attached to the pommel was a long, coiled chain with a weight at its end. “What’s this for?”

“It’s for you. Consider it an anniversary present.”

“Anniversary?”

“Of joining the crew. And of meeting me.” Ace struck a pose, drawing giggles from her.

“You’re incorrigible.” Kitty ran a finger down the blade, admiring the craftsmanship of the cool metal. “This is a really cool sword, but what’s the chain for?”

“I figured that you could throw it at enemies using that weight on the end, and send electricity down it. Long distance electrocution, and all that. It should increase your fighting reach quite a bit.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea.” Kitty closed the box, then set it aside. “I actually got something for you too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

She reached inside her pack and after a second pulled out a necklace of round, red beads. “I saw this in a store last time we were at port, and it made me think of you.”

Ace’s face split in a smile, and he inclined his head. Kitty took the hint and reached up to drape the necklace around his neck. Her hands brushed the hair at the nape of his neck and along the warm skin of his shoulders. He peered down at her with a soft smile, and she realized they’d drawn very close to one another. Kitty dropped her hands away from him and stepped back, clearing her throat.

“It looks good on you, just like I thought,” she said, praying he wouldn’t notice the flush rising in her face.

Ace fingered the beads thoughtfully. “I like it,” he said after a moment. “It’s not my usual style, but since it’s a gift from you, I’ll definitely wear it.” He stepped closer and dipped his head down, brushing a light kiss against her cheek. Kitty froze at the contact, even as he pulled away and strode off with a knowing smile. She absentmindedly touched her cheek. Perhaps it was just her blush, but the place he’d kissed felt warm.

The weeks afterwards turned to months, and it felt as if Kitty had always been a part of the Spades. She and Ace, in particular, grew ever closer to one another, until one evening of revelry on the ship found her sitting in his lap to avoid being stepped on by her dancing crewmates. Or at least, that was the excuse she’d offered when she’d plopped down onto his lap, her face and chest flushed from the alcohol.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he said into her ear. He slipped his arm around her waist, stabilizing her swaying form. His hand was warm on her skin, and she melted into his touch.

Kitty hummed contentedly. “Yes, I am.” The booze made her thoughts fuzzy and hard to keep a grip on, so she gave up on it and nestled into Ace’s chest. She reached up and fiddled absentmindedly with the beaded necklace she’d given him. “I can’t believe you’ve worn this every day, I didn’t expect you to like it so much.”

Ace chuckled. “I told you I liked it.” His hand caught hers, and he made a show of carefully examining her knuckles and palm. She’d gotten scarred and calloused over the months, and while his hands were equally rough, his touch was gentle.

Kitty’s eyes drifted from his hand up to his freckled, sun-kissed face. “You’re beautiful, you know,” she said suddenly.

He looked surprised by her confession, but he laughed all the same. “You’re only saying that because you’ve been drinking.”

“That might be why I’m saying it,” she agreed, “but it’s not why I believe it.” She reached up and brushed her fingertips over his freckled cheeks. Ace watched her intently, his eyes following her every movement. Kitty cradled his face between both hands, and stared back at him as if memorizing every feature. Of course, she already could draw it from memory if asked, but that was beside the point. “These freckles are beautiful, each and every one of them.”

“Such a compliment from such a beautiful woman, you’re gonna make me blush.” Ace’s voice was light and teasing, but the look in his eyes was smoky and intent.

Kitty’s fingers brushed across his lips as he spoke, and the thought crossed her mind that she’d very much like to kiss him. She might have a few too many drinks in her, but she thought that he looked like he was thinking the same thing.

“Can I kiss you?” she murmured.

Ace’s eyes flickered at the request. “I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want that, but you’ve had a _lot_ to drink.”

“And?”

“I wouldn’t feel right taking advantage of that. Not as your captain, or as your friend.” He reached up and caught her hand, drawing it away from his face. “If you can look me in the eyes when you’re not drunk, and tell me you still want it, then I’ll be more than happy to take whatever kisses you’ll give me.”

Kitty pouted, but she knew he was right. She nodded in acceptance, and turned her gaze back to her dancing crewmates. The scent of roasting meat filled the balmy air, and she felt her lids droop as exhaustion started to finally creep in on her.

“I should get to bed,” she said after a while. Ace nodded and helped her stand.

“Want me to walk you there?” he offered.

“No, I’ll be fine.” She took one step, however, and wobbled dangerously. Ace’s hand caught her elbow, steadying her. “Alright, maybe.”

He laughed a bit and wrapped his arm around her waist again. The two of them walked off, meandering below-deck to where the crew slept. “Here you are. Can you make it into your hammock?”

Kitty scoffed. “Of course I can make it into my hammock.”

“Just checking.” Ace leaned over and pressed a kiss against her forehead before pulling away. “Goodnight, Kitty.”

“See you later, Ace.”


	3. Collision

The next morning found several of the crewmates nursing hangovers, Kitty included. The cook had set up a juice bar of sorts, and Kitty had chosen a glass of orange juice to sip on while she waited for her headache to fade.

Someone slid into the seat next to her, and she looked up to find Ace giving her a smug smile. “Did you drink a little too much last night?” he asked cheerfully.

Kitty winced at the volume of his voice. “Piss off,” she groused.

Ace’s grin widened to shit-eating level. “So do you still mean what you said last night?”

She shot him a suspicious glare. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You said I was the most _beautiful_ man you’d ever seen, and that you desperately wanted to kiss me. You could barely keep your hands off me,” he teased. Kitty hushed him, glancing around to make sure nobody else had heard.

“Last night may be a little blurry, but I know for a fact that you’re exaggerating at best.” She downed the last of her juice, then returned the cup to the sink.

“Not so much as you might think,” Ace said, following her. “Anyway, I hope your headache is gone soon, because we’re going to be pulling up to port this afternoon for some supplies, and I want you to go on-shore with me.”

She glanced at him in surprise. “Why me?”

“Because I trust you. I know you’ll have my back no matter what mess I get myself into.”

“I don’t know. You sure get into some deep piles of shit which try even my patience.”

Ace laughed. “I’ll try not to try your patience too much. Today, at least.”

Their ship eventually docked at the island late that afternoon, and a handful of the crew disembarked – including Ace and Kitty. Thunder rumbled in the distance as they made their way into the town. “You haven’t said what it is we’re doing here,” she pointed out.

“Of course I have. We’re restocking on supplies.” Ace stretched. “If you mean you and me, specifically, I thought we’d get something to eat in the meantime.”

Kitty raised an eyebrow. “Are you taking me on a date?”

Ace grinned, offering his arm with a flourish. “Let it never be said that Portgas D. Ace is anything less than a gentleman.”

She snorted, but wrapped her arm through his anyway. “Yeah, _that’s_ what the Navy’s worried about; your manners.”

“Naturally. Why do you think my bounty is so high?”

“Because you’re a shit date?”

Ace groaned in mock distress, placing his free hand over his chest. “You don’t do my ego any good, Kit.”

Kitty laughed, bumping her hip against his. “If I wasn’t here to keep you down to earth, you’d float away with all that hot air you keep between your ears.”

“All I heard was you say I’m hot.”

“Hush, you.”

The thunderstorm had begun in earnest by time the two of them finished eating, paid, and made their way back towards the docks. Unfortunately, the rain that accompanied it was torrential, and worse, cold as hell. The two of them were soaked in less than a minute, despite ducking under any available shelter as they went. When Ace noticed her shivering, he pulled her close. “Here,” he said, flipping his palm upright to reveal a small ball of flame. Kitty held her hands out to warm herself over it, though it did little for the rest of her.

“I wish you c-could control the weather or something,” she groused. “This d-doesn’t do a lot.”

Ace sighed. “Sorry,” he apologized, abandoning the flame to try and rub away the goosebumps on her arms. “We should get back to the ship.”

Kitty shook her head. “Can you even f-find the way back to the docks in this low visibility? B-besides, it’s too c-c-cold.”

“Alright. We planned to stay until morning anyway, we’ll rent a room for the night, and hopefully it’ll be clear in the morning.” Ace pulled his cowboy hat off his own head and plopped it on hers with a playful smile, then grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the rain. The two of them ran down the street, splashing the whole way, Kitty holding onto the hat for dear life to keep the wind from whipping it off her head.

Thankfully, this town had an inn close by, and it was pretty easy to find a room. The downside was that, naturally, there was only one bed, and not a very big one at that. Kitty eyed it warily as Ace changed into dry shorts from the privacy of the tiny bathroom.

“Alright, your turn.” Ace came out of the bathroom, still towel-drying his hair.

“Yeah, thanks,” she said distractedly.

“Something the matter?”

“There’s just one bed.”

“So? We’re both adults, it doesn’t have to mean anything. Go change your clothes before you get sick,” he scolded, ushering her towards the bathroom. When she’d changed into soft pants and a clean shirt, she came back into the room to find Ace sitting cross legged on the floor, cleaning his dagger. He looked up at her and smiled. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yeah, much.” Kitty sat on the edge of the bed, watching him work. “It’s still cold though.”

Ace set aside his knife and moved to sit next to her. “Well, not to sound cliché, but I _can_ help with that.” Kitty scoffed, but leaned against him anyway, relishing the warmth radiating off him. His broad hands rubbed her arms, coaxing away the goosebumps still risen there. “You feel like ice.”

“Thanks for reminding me of how cold I am,” she griped.

Ace pulled her down until they were both laying down. Kitty curled up against him, soaking up as much heat as possible. He pulled the blanket over them both and ghosted a kiss across her forehead, then settled in to sleep.

It was only a couple short hours later, however, that Kitty woke from her uneasy sleep, panting and trembling. Ace stirred as she extricated herself from his tangled limbs and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ace’s voice was heavy with sleep as he propped himself up on an elbow and squinted at her. She shook her head even as his hand stroked soothingly across her back.

“Nightmare,” she mumbled. Ace sat up next to her, and pulled her into a tight hug. His sleep-tousled hair tickled her cheek as she clung to him, sniffling.

“Your parents?” he asked. When she nodded, he held her tighter. “We’ll get them someday, I promise.”

“Ace…” He pulled back a bit to see her face, and once more Kitty cupped his face between her hands. She didn’t have the words for all the emotions welling up inside her, so she took them all and pushed it into the desperate, searching kiss she pressed against his mouth.

He grunted in surprise before pulling away. “Kitty,” he started.

“Please,” she whispered. “I know I want this. I know you do too.”

“You shouldn’t do something like this just because you’re upset,” he said.

“It’s not just that. I’m finally ready.” She kissed him again, tugging him close. His hands slid up her sides and he let out a low moan. “Please, Ace…”

Ace seemed to make up his mind, because he lay back on his back, pulling her atop him so that she straddled his waist. In between hungry kisses and greedy touches, they managed to strip off their clothes. Kitty ground her hips against his, feeling his erection stroking against her core, until she finally reached down, pointed him at her entrance, and slid down around him. Ace’s hands grasped at her hips, urging her to keep going.

Their kisses were all teeth and tongues, and their movements were messy and uncoordinated, but it didn’t take long for their breathing to grow heavy. Kitty moaned and shuddered, and it was just a minute later that lightning flickered through her veins. She tensed as her orgasm washed over her in waves.

Beneath her, Ace seemed close as well, and he gripped her tightly as his hips bucked. His head flopped back and he panted, until he came hard with her name on his lips.

They sat there for a second, panting and trembling, until Kitty collapsed down atop him. She kissed the side of his neck. Ace adjusted them until they lay side by side, pulling out as he did so. “Are you alright?” he asked, trailing his fingers down her arm. Kitty nodded, too exhausted for words. Ace kissed her, soft and tender, and pulled the blanket over them once more. “You should probably get some sleep now.”

“Alright,” Kitty murmured. She snuggled close, letting her eyes drift shut, safe and warm in his embrace.


	4. Turning Point

The rain had thankfully cleared out by time Kitty and Ace woke up in the morning and made their way back to the ship. All the necessary supplies had been restocked and some minor repairs even carried out, and they set sail within the hour.

Neither she nor Ace brought up what happened last night, nor did any of the crew seem to pick up on the subtle changes in their behavior towards one another. In fact, until a couple of days later, it seemed like he’d all but forgotten that they’d had sex.

Kitty had secluded herself in the crow’s nest for the night, resigned to the night watch, when the sound of someone climbing up the rope ladder. She looked up in time to see that familiar cowboy hat appear over the edge, before Ace’s face popped up with a smile. “Hey,” he said, hopping into the nest. “Did you miss me?”

“I did, actually. Did you come to keep me some company?” Kitty scooched over to make room, and he sat next to her.

“I actually need to talk to you.” His tone turned serious, as did his expression. “About what happened the other night…I need to know where you stand on it.”

Kitty blinked. “Where I stand on it? What do you mean?”

“I want to know what you’re expecting out of this thing we’ve got going on here.” Ace gestured between them.

“Oh.” She hugged her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. “I’m not sure, I hadn’t thought about it. What do _you_ want from it?”

Ace looked her in the eye. “I want you to be happy. Whatever that means, whatever you ask, I’ll do it.”

Kitty’s jaw dropped at the free admission. “How can you be so selfless on this?” she demanded. “You can’t just want _me_ to be happy.”

His face split in a grin. “I’m a notorious pirate. I can do whatever I want.”

She scoffed and swatted him on the arm, drawing a laugh from him. “Come on, I’m serious here.”

“So am I. Whatever it takes to make you happy, I’ll do it.” Ace took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her palm. “You are my priority. If you want to make it official, I’m your man. If one time was enough and you want nothing more, then that’s what we’ll do. You’re in complete control here; I just want your happiness.”

She stared wide-eyed at him even as warmth blossomed in her chest. He reached up and stroked her cheek.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he whispered.

Kitty, without the words for all of the emotions welling up in her heart, threw herself into his arms. She buried her face in his neck, sniffling. Ace’s arms wrapped securely around her and cradled her close.

“I don’t know where this will go,” she mumbled. “I just want it to involve you.”

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. “You have my word.”

The months following were some of the best that Kitty had ever had. True to his word, Ace spent every spare moment bringing her as much happiness as he could. He was openly affectionate, and seemed wholly unfazed by the good-natured teasing of his crew about it. They all still did regular pirate things, of course, but he frequently surprised her with dinners and gifts and candle-lit dates. Naturally, Ace always lit the candles himself. It was all very sweet, and Kitty loved it, but she had a sneaking suspicion that other crewmates were feeding him ideas.

Despite how smoothly things were going with the Spades, Kitty couldn’t stop the growing impatience that hounded her every waking moment. Ace had been clear since the beginning that he wanted to go to the Grand Line to find Red Haired Shanks and thank him for saving the life of his little brother Luffy (of which Ace talked about _all the time_ ), but doing so would mean putting the idea of saving Kitty’s parents on hold indefinitely. And now, just as things with the Spades crew had become _perfect_ , she couldn’t fight the nauseating idea that things would have to change – and that she would have to do the changing.

Kitty tracked down Ace one night sitting on the prow of the ship, admiring the stars. He twisted around at her approach, and a broad smile lit up his face when he saw it was her. “Kitty!” he said, patting the spot next to him. “Just the beautiful woman I was hoping it’d be. Take a seat.”

“Hey you,” she said, kissing his cheek and settling in beside him. “What’re you doing over here all by yourself?”

“I was enjoying a brief break from the ruckus.” Ace jerked his head behind them, where the rest of the crew was enjoying one of their near-nightly parties. “I enjoy it as much as the next guy, but you know them – they can be a hell of a handful.”

“What, you don’t want them to drink you under the table again?” Kitty teased.

Ace pouted. “I thought you of all people would have faith in my alcohol-imbibing skill.” She laughed and kissed his pouting lips until she felt him smile. “Anyway, I could ask you the same thing. You love these parties.”

“I wasn’t feeling up to it tonight.” Kitty felt his eyes on her as she sighed and leaned back, staring out at the dark, calm waters.

“What’s wrong?” he finally said, breaking the silence.

“Ah, nothing.”

“Bullshit. I know you well enough to know when you have something on your mind.” Ace bumped her shoulder with his. “You’ve been getting more and more antsy over the last several weeks.”

“Yeah, I know. Sorry.” Kitty absently nibbled on a nail, until he gently pulled her hand away from her mouth.

“You can trust me, whatever it is. You know that.”

“I know. It’s just…I’ve done some thinking recently and I‘ve come to a conclusion, but I don’t like it and I don’t know how to go about it,” she began. He waited patiently for her to continue, his freckled face open and unassuming. “I…I’m sorry, Ace, but I think I have to leave the crew.”

Whatever he’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. He just sat there blinking for a long moment before he let out a long breath. “Okay,” he said.

“’Okay’? That’s it?” Kitty blurted out. “You’re not upset?”

“That’s not completely true. I’m definitely not happy about it.” Ace frowned and scratched the back of his neck. “It’s not something that I or the rest of the crew have done, is it?”

“No, of course not,” she said, aghast. “It’s completely on me.”

“Then what is it?”

“I can’t go to the Grand Line with you,” Kitty admitted. “It would take way too long to navigate the whole thing, and who even knows if we’d make it out alive…I can’t take that risk. My parents have been locked up for too long already, I can’t put off breaking them out any longer.”

“We’ll go with you,” Ace said automatically. “You know we’d back you up in a heartbeat.”

“I know, but I can’t ask that of everybody. And before you say that I don’t have to ask, you know me well enough to know this is a personal thing I have to do. You’ve helped me become much stronger. I know I can do this.” Kitty caressed his cheek, and he leaned into her palm as if touch starved. “I’m not saying I’m never coming back. This is just something I have to do before I go into the Grand Line.”

He still didn’t look happy, but he nodded all the same. “I understand.”

“So you can just drop me off at the next island-”

Ace held up his hand, stalling her. “Uh, no. We’re not just going to ditch you and leave you to get home on your own,” he said. “I know you could do it, but I couldn’t sleep with myself if we did. We’ll turn around and head for your home island, and we’ll make sure you’re set up with all the food and supplies you’ll need. And two crew members will stay behind with you to make sure you’ll be fine.”

“Ace…”

“Okay, one crew member.”

“Ace.” Kitty silenced him with a soft kiss. “I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll catch up to you in the Grand Line. Just wait for me there.”

Ace tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “They’d have to kill me to keep me from you,” he murmured. His tone was light and teasing, but his eyes were intense as he pulled her into a smoldering kiss.

Perhaps it was the seriousness of her confession, or the thought of her leaving the crew, but he could hardly keep his hands off her for the rest of the night. Even after the rest of the crew wound down and one-by-one retired to their bunks, Ace kept pulling her forward to dance, or to have another drink. When finally they were the last two awake, they made their way to the captain’s quarters. They spent the rest of the night wrapped up in one another, whispering each other’s names and wringing as much pleasure as they could from the last hours before sleep.


End file.
